Ricotta-Stuffed French Toast
 
 
Gotta love Mother's Day brunch...I saw this recipe at Olives for Dinner and knew immediately, I had to give it a try. I was intrigued by the soy-free ricotta. I made a few adjustments like using apple cider vinegar instead of coconut vinegar, and I also made the ricotta the morning of instead of the night before. These turned out delicious! And the salted butterscotch sauce was a fantastic touch!
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1 loaf of French bread
  • Ricotta cheese:
  • 1 can full-fat coconut milk
  • ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 5 tsp agar flakes
  • For the batter:
  • 1 C almond milk
  • 1 C canned coconut milk
  • 3 Tbs garbanzo flour
  • 2 tsp egg replacer powder
  • Sauce:
  • ½ C brown sugar
  • 2 Tbs almond milk
  • 2 Tbs coconut oil
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp xanthan gum
  • Toasted pecans and walnuts to top
Directions
  1. I was supposed to make the ricotta the night before and let it chill, but I did't get to it, so I improvised. I threw it in the freezer to let it set up, which it did quite quickly. So...in a saucepan, whisk together all of the ricotta ingredients. Stir over medium heat until the agar flakes dissolve completely, for about 20 minutes. The agar still hadn't dissolved after 30 minutes, so taking the advice from Olives, I poured the mixture through a fine mesh strainer.
  2. I was really surprised at how much agar was still left. Not sure what happened there . . .anyway, transfer to a covered dish and chill. It set up within 15 minutes in the freezer, so I placed it in the fridge until I was ready to use it. The bread, however, I did leave out overnight after I sliced it into 1" slices. Doing so will toughen the bread up for battering. Cut each slice about ¾ of the way down, but not all the way through.
  3. Once the filling has set up, stir it up with a spoon or fork.
  4. Next, combine the batter ingredients in a large shallow dish/bowl.
  5. In a small saucepan, combine the sauce ingredients and cook over a low to medium heat, whisking often to prevent burning. (I suggest growing an extra set of hands, because you'll need them, or better yet, enlist some help). It will only take a few minutes for the sauce to thicken. I may have cooked it a bit too long because it was very chutney-like. It was still good nonetheless.
  6. Spray a skillet or flat griddle with cooking spray and heat to medium. Dunk each slice of toast to thoroughly coat it. The original recipe says to let these sit in the batter for 20 minutes, but I was short on time, so it was dunk n' cook.
  7. Cook about 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown, but check periodically. Serve with some Earth Balance, toasted nuts, and the salted butterscotch sauce. Brunch was complete with some fruit, home potatoes, and mimosas, of course! Enjoy!
Recipe by Epicurean Vegan at http://epicureanvegan.com/2012/05/16/ricotta-stuffed-french-toast/